Safety requires frequent inspection of the full length of undersea pipelines and cables. The best method for such inspection is a visual survey using underwater cameras and floodlights. Present means for carrying out such a visual survey include employing a succession of relatively short, overlapping walks by divers or using a small, manned submarine vehicle. Disadvantages of these means for visual surveys are the divers' limitation to short times at relatively shallow depths thus inflating the overall expense of such surveys, and causing a high risk of human and equipment losses at sea.
The present process obviates the need for such manned underwater excursions.